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Harbor Defenses of Sitka, Alaska |
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List of gun batteries and support facilities |
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Gun Batteries not listed under the Basic Project plan: |
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Battery Allen (not officially named) consisted of 2 six-inch Navy guns on pedestal. The guns were emplaced in 1942. This battery was manned by the 266CA. |
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One battery of 4 155mm GPF guns emplaced in Panama Mounts. The guns were emplaced in 1942. This battery was manned by the 250CA. 2 guns were later removed to make room for Battery 292. |
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| SASEDNI ISLAND |
One battery of 4 3-inch Anti-Aircraft guns with electronic direction. These guns were emplaced by the middle of 1941. This battery was manned by the 205th CA. |
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Three 75mm guns to cover Neva Straight and protect the northern entrance to Sitka Sound. |
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Gun Batteries built under the Basic Project plan of 9 June 1942 for the Harbor Defenses of Sitka: |
Completed Base End Stations: |
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Battery 290 (Tactical Battery No. 1) was a modern 200 series battery of 2 6-inch M1903A2 guns on M1 barbette carriages with an elaborate magazine positioned between the two guns. Battery 290 had a two-level combination Battery Control (BC) and Coincidence Range Finder (CRF) station that was placed on top of the magazine. The battery was abandoned in 1944 when 88 percent complete. It lacked only concrete aprons around the guns, other minor concrete work, and backfill over the top and rear of the battery. |
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| MAKHNATI ISLAND |
Battery 292 (Tactical Battery No. 2) was a modern 200 series battery of 2 6-inch M1903A2 guns on M1 barbette carriages with an elaborate magazine positioned between the two guns. Battery 292 had a two-level combination Battery Control (BC) and Coincidence Range Finder (CRF) station that was placed on top of the magazine. This battery was completed by the end of 1944. |
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| BIORKA ISLAND |
Battery 291 (Tactical Battery No. 3) was a modern 200 series battery of 2 6-inch M1903A2 guns on M1 barbette carriages with an elaborate magazine positioned between the two guns. Battery 291 had a Battery Commander’s (BC) Station on top the magazine between the guns. There was no CRF for Battery 291. The Battery was completed except for back fill over the top of the magazine. It was abandoned at 98 percent completion. |
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| WATSON POINT |
Anti Motor Torpedo Boat Battery No. 1 was completed. It consisted of two fixed 90mm M1A1 guns, two mobile 90mm M-3 (T3) guns, and two 40mm guns. The Range Emplacement for the battery was completed on the hill behind it. |
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| WHALE ISLAND |
Anti Motor Torpedo boat Battery No. 2 was completed. It consisted of two fixed 90mm M1A1 guns, two mobile 90mm M-3 (T3) guns, and two 40mm guns. A Range Emplacement was completed on a hill to the north east of the battery. |
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Base End stations completed |
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| LAVA POINT | Base End Station (B3 S3) for Battery 290 was completed and atop 90 foot timber tower. | |
| CLAM ISLAND | Base End Station (B1 S1) for Battery 292 was completed and atop a timber tower. | |
| KAYAK ISLAND | Base End Station (B2 S2) for Battery 292 was a two room concrete building just above the water line on the west side of Kayak Island. | |
| LISIANSKI PENINSULA | Base End Station (B4 S4) for Battery 292 was only completed and housed in the HDOP tower. | |
| LITTLE BIORKA ISLAND | Base End Station (B1 S1) for Battery 291 was a 90 foot wooden tower, it was 90 percent completed. | |
| ATAKU ISLAND | Base End Station (B2 S2) for Battery 291 was completed. It was a two room concrete building on the highest point of the island. It was elevated six feet above the top of the hill on four concrete stilts. | |
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Radar Positions completed: |
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There was one SCR-296 (fire control radar) assigned to Battery 292 built here. It was atop a steel tower on the highest point of the island. |
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There was one SCR-296 (fire control radar) assigned to Battery 290 built here. It was atop a steel tower on the highest point of the island and was removed when construction was halted on Battery 290 in 1944. |
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There was one SCR-296 (fire control radar) assigned to Battery 291 built here. It was atop a steel tower on a hill just to the east of the battery. The set was removed when construction was halted on Battery 290 in 1944. |
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| There was one SCR-582 (general surveillance radar) in the upper level of the Harbor Defense Command Observation Post (HDCOP) tower the Harbor Defense Command Post (HDCP) on Makhnati Island operated. | ||
| There was a top secret SCR-271 (long range aerial surveillance radar) on the western ridge of Harbor Mountain. A road was completed to the radar site. This radar was jointly controlled by the Army and Navy from Fort Ray (Alice and Charcoal Islands) and was so secret that it was referred to as "the gun on Harbor Mountain" in military documents. | ||
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Searchlight Positions Completed: |
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| SHOALS POINT | Searchlight No. 7 and Searchlight No. 8 were constructed at a point halfway between Shoals Point and Lava Point. They had wooden shelters made of logs. | |
| SOUND ISLAND | Searchlight No. 9 covered Neva Straight, the northern entrance to Sitka Sound. The searchlight had a splinter-proof concrete shelter. The Distant Electric Control (DEC) station was housed in Signal Station number 2. | |
| LISIANSKI PENINSULA | Searchlight No. 10 had a splinter-proof concrete shelter and also covered the northern entrance to Sitka Sound. The (wooden) DEC was atop a 20 foot timber tower. | |
| CLAM ISLAND | Searchlight No. 11 and Searchlight No. 12 both had splinter-proof concrete shelters. There was a two level splinter-proof concrete double DEC station for the lights. | |
| KAYAK ISLAND | Searchlight No. 13 and Searchlight No. 14 both had splinter-proof concrete shelters. Both lights were controlled by a two level splinter-proof concrete double DEC station. | |
| LITTLE BIORKA ISLAND | Searchlight No. 17 and Searchlight No. 18 were only partially constructed before construction was halted in 1944. | |
| ATAKU ISLAND | Searchlight No. 19 and Searchlight No. 20 had only temporary wood-frame shelters completed. No DEC was constructed before construction was halted in 1944. | |
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Command Facilities Completed |
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| KIRUSHKIN ISLAND | In 1942 the Army built a temporary artillery command center on Kirushkin Island. This structure was built of splinter-proof concrete and consisted of four rooms and a hatch that lead up into a wooden structure on top. | |
| SASEDNI ISLAND | The MET station was completed on Sasedni Island. | |
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MAKHNATI ISLAND
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The Harbor Defense
Command Post / Harbor Entrance Control Post (HDCP/HECP) was the headquarters
for the Harbor Defenses of Sitka. The HDCP/HECP post was a joint Army
and Navy command with rooms for each service. The elaborate splinter-proof concrete
command building was buried under large rocks for protection and gas proofed
against chemical and biological warfare. The Harbor Defense Command Observation Post was the lower level of the timber tower that the Army built on the highest point of the island. The upper level and roof of the tower housed the SCR-582 (general surveillance) radar. |
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| LISIANSKI PENINSULA | The Harbor Defense Observation Post was built atop a wooden tower with a view of the northern entrance to Sitka Sound. | |
| SOUND ISLAND | Signal Station No. 2 was completed on Sound Island. | |
| LITTLE BIORKA ISLAND | Signal Station No. 3 was partially constructed on Little Biorka Island | |
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Facilities Planned, but not Constructed |
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| HILL 800 | B1S1 station for Battery 290 | |
| WEST POINT | Searchlights No. 1 & 2 | |
| SITKA POINT | Searchlights No. 3 & 4 | |
| KITA ISLAND | B4S4 station for Battery 291, Searchlights No. 15 & 16 | |
| GOLF ISLAND | B3S3 station for Battery 291, Searchlights No. 21 & 22 | |
| ST. LAZARIA ISLAND | B2S2 station for Battery 290, Searchlights No. 5 & 6, Signal Station No. 1 |
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